Poland says to curb Russian diplomats’ movements

WARSAW: Poland announced on Monday it will restrict Russian diplomats´ movements on its soil, prompting Moscow to pledge retaliatory measures.

The announcement came after Poland detained several people suspected of planning sabotage attacks on behalf of Russian security services. The new measures will restrict the movement of consular staff to the Warsaw region, but will not impact the Russian ambassador, Sergei Andreyev.

In Moscow, Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia would take “retaliatory measures” against Poland´s “anti-Russian measures”, saying Polish leaders “are overrun by Russophobia”. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland was not the first country to impose such restrictions, adding that he hoped more would do the same.

“I just announced a Polish decision in connection to Russia´s participation in hybrid warfare against the European Union, including Poland: a restriction of movement for Russian diplomats in our country,” he told reporters in Brussels after meeting with his EU counterparts. In his announcement, Sikorski said he hoped Russia would treat the restrictions as “a very serious warning signal”.